Badawi Feels Assured

Thank you Prime Minister. Thank you that some action is being taken to apprehend two important Immigration officers. This may be the tip of the iceberg. If the bosses are involved, do you think the subordinates are beyond suspicion. The Immigration depots in this country must be a hive of corruption where every transaction means money. It is suggested an exercise be carried out to weed out Immigration personal living beyond their means.

I think your confidence, big fish won’t be left out, is a bit premature. It is just the beginning. The people can only agree with your confidence, if there is a conviction. Jamaluddin Jarjis has not been charged yet.

Finally, these blokes have undermined the security of this country – a grave crime. Are you going to throw the books at them and put them in under ISA. Would you?

PETALING JAYA: The detention of two top Immigration Department officers by the Anti-Corruption Agency in investigations into allegation of bribery in the issuance of visas to foreign workers if proof that even big fish will not be let off the hook, the Prime Minister said.

Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said that the public was shocked by the detention of the top officers as if it was unusual.

“So they perceive that big guns cannot be arrested and that is why they are shocked? All this while the authorities act on “big or small” people, whether they hold posts or not.

“As long as there is misconduct, the ACA will investigate. If they obtain information that ties the accused to the crime they will surely charge them, ” he said after opening the National Summit on Urban Poor and Low Income Groups.

On whether the alleged offence threatened national security, Abdullah said the probe might involve massive work as the ACA would need to identify those involved and the extent of the problem which included training those who had been issued the documents through the illegal means.